Backyard Bard 2026: The Two Noble Kinsmen

Nothing turns best friends into bitter rivals like a love triangle. Arcite and Palomon soon learn that the hard way when they both fall for the same woman. But before they can woo Emilia, they have to get out of prison. Condemned by Theseus but aided by the Jailer’s Daughter, the only solution is a winner-takes-all duel. Based on Chaucer’s “The Knight’s Tale,” and written with John Fletcher, Shakespeare’s final play probes the conflict between our desires and our destiny—even as it pokes fun at the lengths we go to in the name of love.